Rust

The Intel Core i7-12700K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER produces a distinct performance profile in Rust, characterized by a steep drop in frame rates as resolution increases. The data shows that this combo is heavily GPU-limited at higher resolutions, while the CPU’s strong multi-threaded capabilities become more apparent at lower settings and resolutions. The measured FPS across all tested presets reveals a system that can handle competitive frame rates at 1080p with adjusted settings but struggles to maintain playable smoothness at 4K on higher quality presets.

Resolution Scaling

The transition from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160 has a severe impact on average frame rates, indicating that the rendering load quickly outpaces the RTX 2070 SUPER’s capabilities. At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 151.8 at 1080p to 102.8 at 1440p, a reduction of 32.3%, and then falls further to 60.3 at 4K, which is a 60.3% decrease from the 1080p figure. This pattern is consistent across all settings, with the gap widening as quality increases. For example, at High settings, the average FPS falls from 85 at 1080p to 62 at 1440p, and then to 33.4 at 4K, representing a total loss of 60.7% of the 1080p performance.

The magnitude of these drops suggests that the GPU is the primary limiting factor when moving to higher resolutions. The RTX 2070 SUPER’s 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and 256-bit bus width, while capable for 1440p, appear saturated at 4K, especially on Ultra settings where the average FPS collapses to 27.4. The scaling from Medium to High at 4K also shows a significant penalty, with the average FPS dropping from 44.2 to 33.4, a 24.4% decrease, which is more pronounced than the 14.3% drop seen from 1080p to 1440p at the same settings. This indicates that at 4K, the memory bandwidth and pixel throughput of the GPU are overwhelmed, making the resolution scaling non-linear and heavily penalizing higher settings.

Conversely, the CPU’s role is highlighted by the relatively small performance gap between 1080p and 1440p at Low settings, where the average FPS only drops from 151.8 to 102.8. While the GPU still handles the bulk of the work, the i7-12700K’s high boost clock of 5.00 GHz and 20 threads ensure that it does not bottleneck the frame delivery at these lower resolutions. The data confirms that this combo is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, where the CPU can maintain high frame rates, but 4K gaming requires a reduction in settings to achieve acceptable performance.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER features a base clock of 1605 MHz and a boost clock of 1770 MHz, with a memory clock of 1750 MHz and 14 Gbps effective speed. The GPU’s 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus provides a bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s, which is a critical factor in Rust’s performance at higher resolutions. The benchmark results indicate that this memory configuration is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p, where the average FPS at High settings remains above 60, but it becomes a limiting factor at 4K, where the Ultra preset’s average FPS falls to 27.4.

The GPU’s compute capabilities, including 2560 shading units and a texture rate of 283.2 GTexel/s, are well-suited for the game’s rendering demands at lower resolutions. However, the data shows that the RTX 2070 SUPER’s performance in Rust is more dependent on the memory subsystem than on raw shader throughput. At 4K, the pixel rate of 113.3 GPixel/s is insufficient to maintain high frame rates on demanding settings, as evidenced by the 33.4 average FPS at High settings. This suggests that the GPU’s fill-rate limitations are exposed at 4K, making it less capable of handling the increased pixel count.

The GPU’s place in the market, with a percentile of 65 against all GPUs and an average benchmark score of 22206, reflects its mid-range positioning. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA RTX A400, which scores 22307, and the AMD Radeon RX 5700, which scores 21670. The RTX 2070 SUPER’s performance is within 2.5% of the RX 5700, but it is 2.3% slower than the RTX 4060 Mobile. In Rust, this translates to a GPU that can deliver high frame rates at 1080p but requires settings adjustments to maintain smooth gameplay at higher resolutions, particularly when the game’s draw distances and texture details increase memory pressure.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i7-12700K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER ranks 1032 out of 1717 tested combos in Rust, placing it in the 60th percentile of all possible configurations. This ranking indicates that the combo is above average, but it is not among the top-tier systems for this game. The CPU’s strong performance, with an average benchmark score of 35684 and a percentile of 89 against all CPUs, does not fully compensate for the GPU’s mid-range standing, which has a percentile of 65 against all GPUs.

The CPU’s nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5845, which has an average score of 35802 and is 0.3% faster, and the Intel Core i5-14500HX, which scores 35940 and is 0.7% faster. This indicates that the i7-12700K is competitive with other high-end CPUs, but the GPU’s limitations in Rust, particularly at 4K, pull the combo’s overall ranking down. The combo’s rank of 1032 suggests that many systems with more powerful GPUs, even with slightly weaker CPUs, achieve better frame rates in this game.

The data shows that the combo’s ranking is largely determined by the GPU’s ability to handle the game’s rendering load. At 1080p, the combo performs well, with average FPS above 100 on Low settings, which would place it higher in the rankings if only that resolution were considered. However, the inclusion of 4K results, where the average FPS drops below 34 on High settings, penalizes the overall rank. This indicates that for users targeting 1080p or 1440p, the combo is a solid choice, but for 4K gaming, it is outclassed by combos with higher-end GPUs.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend heavily on the target resolution. At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers an average FPS of 151.8, which is more than enough for high-refresh-rate monitors. The Medium preset, with an average FPS of 100.8, offers a better balance between visual quality and performance, while the High preset at 85 FPS is still smooth for most gameplay. The Ultra preset, at 64.5 FPS, is playable but may stutter in dense areas, making Medium or High the recommended choices for 1080p.

For 2560x1440, the Low preset provides an average FPS of 102.8, which is excellent for competitive play. The Medium preset, at 73.1 FPS, is the sweet spot for a mix of visuals and performance, as the High preset’s 62 FPS is still acceptable but approaches the lower threshold for smooth gameplay. The Ultra preset, at 45.2 FPS, is not recommended due to the significant frame rate drop, which could impact responsiveness in a survival game where quick reactions are important.

At 3840x2160, the data shows that only the Low preset, with an average FPS of 60.3, provides a consistently playable experience. The Medium preset, at 44.2 FPS, is borderline, and the High preset at 33.4 FPS and Ultra at 27.4 FPS are too slow for a smooth experience. Therefore, for 4K gaming, users should stick to Low settings to maintain a playable frame rate, or consider lowering the resolution to 1440p to use higher quality presets.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the average FPS varies significantly by settings preset. The Low preset achieves 151.8 FPS, the Medium preset achieves 100.8 FPS, the High preset achieves 85 FPS, and the Ultra preset achieves 64.5 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra is 87.3 FPS, representing a 57.5% decrease, which shows a substantial performance cost for higher visual fidelity. The step from Medium to High is 15.8 FPS, while the step from High to Ultra is 20.5 FPS, indicating that the Ultra preset has a disproportionate impact on performance.

At 2560x1440, the average FPS for each preset is 102.8 for Low, 73.1 for Medium, 62 for High, and 45.2 for Ultra. The drop from Low to Medium is 29.7 FPS, and from Medium to High is 11.1 FPS, while the drop from High to Ultra is 16.8 FPS. This shows that at 1440p, the performance scaling is more consistent than at 1080p, but the Ultra preset still exacts a heavy toll. The Low preset is the only one that maintains an average FPS above 100, while the High preset stays above 60 FPS, which is the minimum threshold for a playable experience.

At 3840x2160, the average FPS is 60.3 for Low, 44.2 for Medium, 33.4 for High, and 27.4 for Ultra. The difference between Low and Medium is 16.1 FPS, between Medium and High is 10.8 FPS, and between High and Ultra is 6 FPS. This indicates that at 4K, the performance scaling is more compressed, and even the step from Low to Medium represents a 26.7% reduction in frame rate. The Ultra preset’s average FPS of 27.4 is below the threshold for consistent smoothness, making it unsuitable for actual gameplay. Overall, the data shows that the combo’s performance is highly dependent on both resolution and settings, with the most balanced experience found at 1080p Medium or 1440p Low.